19/01/2025 - Nathan "Dubsy" Want

What does it mean to be “all in” on your faith?

• “Be willing to surrender all to him”
• “Completely committed, devoted to him & totally engaged”

Jesus described what it meant to be all in on your faith by saying….

Matthew 16:24-25 ESV

24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

Matthew 19:16- 22 ESV

16 And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” 17 And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” 18 He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, 19 Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 20 The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

3 things about what it means to be all in on your faith & live a life or surrender?

• We need to … focus on the main thing

Matthew 22:37

37-40 Jesus said, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.’ This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’

That you would love God with not just some of your life or in certain time slots but with all your life.

If we are going to be a community of people that is all in and sold out in our faith:

It first starts with do you love him?

Do you devote time and energy to live for him?

To devote yourself in his word and his instruction?

The second thing we learn about going all in:

• The price to go all in is not up for negotiation.

In this text: (Matthew 19:17,20)

• Jesus is staying strong
• He’s not watering down or adjusting what’s expected to be all in.
• Even though this man is asking questions trying to find a loophole – questions like “which ones” (v17), “what do I still lack” (v20)
• This mode of questioning is quite common for people like pharisees looking for a loophole but finding a way out and not a way in to what Jesus is asking for them to do.
• But Jesus stays strong and doesn’t negotiate or change what is expected.

Q: Have you been trying to negotiate what your spiritual journey looks like?

The third thing we learn about going all in:

• If we don’t surrender ALL, we miss it

Verse 22 in the message – 22 That was the last thing the young man expected to hear. And so, crestfallen, he walked away. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and he couldn’t bear to let go.

 Jesus has asked him to go all in, but he’s not prepared to do it – based on money.

He was not prepared to lay down his wealth to go all in on Jesus.

Because he wasn’t prepared to do that, he missed out on the life that Jesus had for him…

How easy is it to be this man in the story. You follow Jesus. You’re keen to learn more about it…But then there’s just one thing…. That gets in the way… of us fully trusting, fully believing and fully living for him.

Q: What’s that one thing stopping you from going all in?

Q: What’s the one thing you would tight… that you would not bear let go…

Q: What’s getting in the way of fully trusting, fully believing and fully living for him?

One Thing:

“Whatever rules your heart, rules your life”

 Q: Who rules your heart, and what rules your heart in 2025? What do we need to surrender to go all in our faith?